From the early age of 12, he was trained for a career in the Royal Navy, eventually rising to the rank of Commander. His older brother died and he gained heir to the throne. At the age of 26, he had already acquired personal knowledge of outlying British lands that he had learned in the Royal Navy
In 1917, during World War I, he gave up all of his English titles and cut off the royal family's connection to all things German. It was he who changed the name of the royal house from Saxe-Coburg-Gotha to Windsor. In 1911, George traveled to India for a ceremony to cement ties with that colony. May of 1935 was celebrated as the silver jubilee of his reign.